Feed roll brake for silk machines or the like



Jan. 26, 1937.

w. A. SEEM 2,069,118

FEED ROLL BRAKE FOR SILK MACHINES OR THE LIKE Filed Aug. 16; 1935 Patented Jan. 26, 1937 UNlTED s'rr @FFECE FEED ROLL BRAKE FOR SILK MACHINES OR THE LIKE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a brake for use in connection with the feed rolls of silk machines or the like commonly known as doublers or twisters.

In machines of the type mentioned there are employed what are known as feed rolls which are of various shapes and sizes. These rolls guide the thread down from the tops of the machines to insure a uniform feed of the thread to the bobbins located below the rolls. It is the practice to gear these rolls to any desired speed in order that the required twist or number of turns per inch may be obtained.

The actuation of the feed rolls is effected by the use of gears receiving motion from a driving gear and this actuation is continued as long as none of the threads break. Should a thread break, however, some type of automatic stop is employed which disengages the driving gear from the gears of the rolls. Ordinarily when this action occurs there is a certain amount of momentum which causes the feed rolls to carry the threads down entirely too far to permit tying of the single broken thread. Consequently it becomes necessary for the operator to tie multiple ends (two or more), and this naturally re sults in a considerable loss of time while, where some classes of goods are being made, the multiple knots must be broken out during succeeding operations.

In addition to the foregoing results, the momentum of the feed rolls when disengaged from their driving gears, creates an excessive amount of loose textile threads on the rolls and these often fall off on the sides and create very unsatisfactory working conditions and excessive waste.

The present invention is designed to eliminate the disadvantages heretofore stated by providing a simple and efficient means whereby the feed rolls will be promptly stopped the instant the thread is broken and the driving roll is disengaged from the feed roll gears.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that various modifications of the invention and changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing the preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawing Figure l is an elevation of feed rolls the gears of which are receiving motion from a driving gear, the brake being shown in the position occupied thereby during the normal operation of the rolls.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the frame in section and the gears in elevation, the driving gear being in a position assumed thereby when a thread is broken and the brake being illustrated in holding position after being released.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing the brake combined with a single feed roll and held inactive during normal operation.

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 2 and illustrating the structure shown in Figure 3, the brake being shown applied.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, i designates a portion of the frame of the machine in which are journaled double feed rolls 2 and 3 each of which has a guard 4. An intermediate gear 5 meshes with these gears to insure their simultaneous rotation in the same direction. In the structure illustrated a gear guard S is extended downwardly from the frame.

A shiftable drive gear 1 is controlled by any suitable automatic stop mechanism not shown whereby under normal conditions this gear is maintained in mesh with one of the gears 4 as shown in Figure 1. Gear 7 has a flange 8 rotatable therewith and of such size that when the gears 41 and i are in mesh the flange extends close to guard 6 and cooperates therewith to guard all of the gears.

Secured to the frame preferably by a screw 9 used for holding guard 6 in place, is a brake in the form of a leaf spring it which is extended outside of guard 6 and terminates in a rounded ofiset portion ll constituting a friction shoe which, under normal conditions, bears upon the outer side of the flange 8 as shown in Figure 1. Obviously with the parts located as in Figure l the feed rolls will operate in the usual manner, motion being transmitted thereto from the driving gear i which, in turn, is operated by any well known means. Should a thread break, the automatic stop mechanism will cause the gear l to move out of mesh with gear 4 and this naturally will withdraw flange 8 from engagement with the shoe H and consequently the leaf spring ill, which is constantly under tension, will be freed and will snap shoe ll into frictional contact with the side of one of the gears this frictional engagement being sufficient to cause the feed rolls to come to an instant stop.

Should the machine be equipped with a single feed roll only, the parts could be constructed and arranged as shown in Figures 3 and 4. In those figures the frame I2 has a feed roll l3 journaled therein and this roll is provided with a gear 14 adapted to receive motion from a driving gear I5. The driving gear has an annular flange l6 which constitutes a guard to the two gears while in mesh.

The brake used in this modified structure includes a spring I! attached to the frame I and looped downwardly as at l8 so as to present a yielding arm terminating in an ofiset portion l9 constituting a brake shoe. When the parts are in their normal positions, as shown in Figure 3, this brake shoe bears against the outer side of the flange l6. However should the automatic stop mechanism forming a part of the machine be actuated as a result of the breaking of a thread, gear l5 would drop out of mesh with gear M as shown in Figure 4 and at the same time the guard flange 16 would be withdrawn from between gear [4 and brake shoe I9. Thus the resilient arm l8, which is constantly under tension, would snap the brake shoe against gear l4 and bring it and the feed roll 13 to an instant stop.

Obviously a machine having means for bringing the fed roll or rolls to an instant stop has distinct advantages over machines not equipped with brake means for that purpose. It results in a considerable saving of time otherwise devoted to tying and untangling threads and produces textile goods of improved quality because of the elimination of multiple knots which subsequently must be broken out.

Obviously there are various types of machines to which the present improvements might be applied and therefore the two forms illustrated might be varied when necessary to meet different conditions.

Importance is attached to the fact that the brake can be easily applied and can be produced at low cost.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described the combination with a feed roll having a gear, and a shiftable driving gear normally meshing with the first named gear, of a guard rotatable with the driving gear, and a resilient brake member normally held inactive by the guard, said guard being shiftable with the gear when the gears are movable out of mesh, thereby to release the brake member for frictional engagement with the gear of the feed roll.

2. In a machine of the class described a feed roll having a gear, a driving gear normally meshing with the first named gear but movable out of mesh therewith, a guard rotatable with one of the gears and normally overlapping the other gear, and a resilient brake member normally engaging the guard and held inactive thereby, said brake member being releasable from the guard for frictional contact with one of the gears when the gears'are shifted out of mesh.

3. In a machine of the class described the combination with a feed roll, and normally meshing gears for operating the roll, one of said gears being shiftable out of mesh with the other, of a restrained friction device released by said shifting movement of one of the gears for frictionally engaging and stopping the other gear.

4. In a machine of the class described the combination with a feed roll, and normally meshing gears for operating the roll, one of said gears being shiftable out of mesh with the other, of means controlled by said shifting movement of one of the gears for frictionally engaging and stopping the other gear, said means including a resilient member having a brake shoe, and a guard rotatable with one of the gears and normally positioned to hold the shoe out of contact with the other gear.

5. In a machine of the class described the combination with a feed roll and normally meshing gears for operating the roll, one of said gears being shiftable out of mesh with the other, of restrained movable means released by said shifting movement for frictionally stopping the rotation of the roll. 6. In a machine of the class described a feed roll, means for driving the same, a friction device po'sitionedto automatically stop the feed roll when relieved from its driving means, and means actuated when the driving means are brought into operative position for rendering the friction device ineffective.

7. In a thread spinning machine, the combination of a driving pinion, a feed roller and feed roller gear, said feed roller gear and said pinion being relatively movable so as to move said feed roller gear and said pinion into and out of engagement with each other, a brake mounted adjacent the feed roller gear, spring means for pressing said brake against said gear, and means operative when said roller gear engages said pinion for rendering said spring means ineffective, whereby said brake is inoperative while said gear is driven by said pinion.

WARREN A. SEEM. 

